I saw a graphic at church on Sunday of a heart. It inspired me to use a heart in my journal.
Most of the images in my journal look flat I am beginning realizing. I wanted this heart to look like it was on top of the background. I have no formal training in art and things that are automatic for trained artists are often difficult for me. I kept playing and adding paint until it looked like the heart was raised.
After laying a background of craft paints, I used wine colored paint and drew the heart with my fingers. Then I stared adding lighter colors of paint around the edges of the heart. When I was finished the whole thing was way to bright so I took a single white layer from a paper napkin and glued it over the whole page using matte medium.
As the napkin was drying I rubbed the napkin with my fingers so that piece of it curled up. This gave me great texture and the 3 d illusion. I added purple paint over the top of the napkin on the heart. I added more touches of different colors with my fingers all over the page. Finally, I used two Mr. Huey stencils to have some additional interest. The circles were made with a piece of sequin waste. I use very inexpensive children's brushes from Michael's for my stenciling. They make wonderful stencil brushes because the bristles are stiff.
The whole purpose of this page was to play. I believe that adults would be happier if they played more. I have at least two friends who don't know how to play. Everything they do has to have a purpose. That makes me so sad. All our lives have stress, anxiety and sadness in them. Art Journaling is my way of letting all of the "stuff" of life slide off my shoulders.
When I sit down with paper and paint, I become one with the little child inside me who wants to play and be happy. More and more I realize that my time with my journal is when I'm closest to God. I believe no mater the state of the world, God wants me to be content within myself. I can lose myself when I journal and be one with God.
Link to: Paint Party Fridayl, Art Journal Everyday
This page is in honor of my friend who lives in Texas. He is not a native Texan and is really suffering with the dry heat this year.
I started this piece with my recycled book oriented to portrait setting.... can you tell I spend a lot of time working with documents because I think portrait or landscape instead of horizontal and vertical?
Layer one is a piece of deli paper that I'd used for practicing with a stencil and black paint. Layer two is drips of aqua, pink and lime paint. Layer three is wrinkled deli paper that had bits of glitter on it. I peeled pieces of layer three off so that I would have some of the brighter colors peeking through. I still did not love this page.
People ask me how I work and where I get my ideas? Mostly, I just play and let the paint and whatever is around me speak to me. This sun was cut from cardboard and has been sitting on my cutting table for several months. It is the negative of an Accucut die that we have at my office. I have no clue why I cut it out... maybe to recycle a piece of cardboard that was in the office.
I put a thin layer of gesso over the cardboard and then finger painted two shades of yellow, orange and hot pink on it. Then I turned my book to landscape and loved how it looked with the drips going sideways across the sun. The word HOT was written with a florescent pink and orange paint pen.
Now I love this page. It always amazes me how a piece can go from OK, to ugly, to I love it so fast.
Link to: Paint Party Friday, Artist Play Room, Art Journal Everyday.
It finally feels like spring today and I wasn't noticing it. My mom died two years ago today and even though I'm glad she's not suffering with cancer anymore, I still miss her. To make matters worse, my young co-worker left for his new job today. He was my partner is silliness. I was sad to see him leave. I will miss his ready smile and the mischievous look he would have right before he did something sure to have me laughing. Brentwood Youth are very lucky to be getting him for their Youth Ministry.
Both of those things were bringing me down today. I considered going home and taking a nap but when I arrived home... the Gelli Plate was calling to me. By the time I finished pulling prints, both my hands were paint stained and I was feeling much better. I pulled many cool prints but these two are great. When I saw the top one I sighed. I love the cross hatches with the Tim Holtz Umbrella Man.
The bottom print is my favorite. I love how you can see all the ghosts of other prints in the background. It pulled up several colors and I love the variants in the colors of this one. I threw umbrella man, the saw blade and the butterflies on the Gelli plate as an after thought. I thought a whole page of orange would be boring. I love this print. It looks like umbrella man is dancing with the sun.
I don't think you'll find it in any of the Gelli Plate literature, but today, the Gelli Plate and Umbrella Man helped cured the blues for me. How could I not smile when I see Umbrella Man dancing with the sun.
I enjoyed my Gelli Plate time so much that I even did my grocery store run when I was finished. When I went out, I noticed the warmer air, the blue sky and bright sunshine. A little art sure improved my day.
Linked to Carolyn Dube March Gelli Print Party, Gelli Arts Facebook Page , Creative Everyday
